As the $21 million project to build a new lane in each direction winds down, drivers hope the perpetual traffic jam on the one-mile stretch lightens up.

Their test drive is coming the week of Oct. 14 when the Regional Transportation Commission of Santa Cruz County expects the southbound auxiliary lane to be finished.

The northbound auxiliary lane should be completed in November or December, according to commission officials.

"Traffic is horrendous," said Barrera, a Salinas resident who drives to Santa Cruz five days a week for his job working with teens on house arrest. "Of course it's really bad at 5 and worse on a Friday."

The auxiliary lanes, which started construction two years ago, are meant to funnel drivers between the on ramps and offramps of the two exits, freeing up the highway for through traffic.

An estimated 98,000 vehicles travel the one-mile corridor each day -- the second busiest stretch in the county, according to transportation officials.

Much of the remaining work will be done from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., including repaving two northbound lanes and all three southbound lanes with open-grade asphalt. Temporary lane closures will be in place with one lane open in each direction during the night work.

Painting new lane stripes on the highway is planned Monday to Oct. 7.

Caltrans has asked for an additional drain line to be constructed on the northbound side of Highway 1 to supplement the existing system that was installed when the retaining wall was built.

Longtime La Fonda Avenue resident Paul McBride said he believes the new lanes will make only a dent in the stand-still congestion that plagues Highway 1 during heavy commute times.

McBride says the traffic is so bad that he refuses to go anywhere from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

"What they're doing here is moving (the bottleneck) a mile down the road," McBride said. "It'll be a little better. It just needs to go on clear to Watsonville. If they could get (another lane) out to State Park Drive, that would relieve a lot of this."

Jacob Dominguez, a San Jose resident who commutes to Watsonville two days a week, said he believes traffic is often worse on Highway 1 than the traffic over the hill.

"Over here it feels small and compact," Dominguez said. "It's horrible out here during rush hour."

Construction for the auxiliary lanes was funded through Prop 1B, the transportation bond approved by voters statewide in 2006.

Funds were distributed throughout California for projects demonstrating the greatest congestion relief.